


Arms Unfolding

by CampyGlampy



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/F, Friends to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:07:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24068584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CampyGlampy/pseuds/CampyGlampy
Summary: Gigi and Crystal have been attached at the hip since kindergarten, and now Crystal is flying off to college and adult life is beginning.Gigi is terrified of losing her dearest friend--her favorite person and other half. She may also let the chance to admit her true feelings slip away along with Crystal's departure.
Relationships: Crystal Methyd/Gigi Goode
Comments: 13
Kudos: 93





	Arms Unfolding

**Author's Note:**

> Soooo I have really only written Nicky/Gigi prior to this one but I loved writing this! I hope you enjoy the angsty schmoop of growing up and possibly growing apart.

Gigi couldn't sleep. She was exhausted, yes--but she knew she couldn't sleep tonight.  
She'd known she wouldn't sleep tonight for months.

Her eyes flicked to her calendar in the dim blue light. Tomorrow's date had a big frowny face drawn in red; little teardrops sketched over the adjacent days, too. Under the cartoon read: "Crystal's Flight."

Gigi sighed, running a hand through her hair. Crystal would be leaving for college tomorrow, flying halfway across the nation to her dream school where she earned a scholarship.

Gigi's life turned upside down when Crystal told her. She was so happy for her best friend, but so distraught.

Both Gigi and Crystal's parents assured them they'd still be friends. Gigi wasn't so sure. She was a pessimist at heart, and Crystal was usually optimistic enough for the both of them.

Gigi's mom wasn't friends with her grade school bestie. Neither was Crystal's mom or her dad. So how could they be so sure? 

Of course Gigi wanted to be Crystal's best friend forever. Even more than that. Gigi harbored a burning crush for Crystal since middle school, a fact that only her other friend, Nicky, knew of. 

Nicky adored Crystal, too--they were really the three amigos when Nicky transfered during their sophomore year. Gigi and Crystal were inevitably bonded, but Nicky was slick enough to slide into the friendship seamlessly. Thus, one evening between a bottle of peach schnapps and Nicky's offered blunt, Gigi admitted to loving Crystal. Rookie mistake.

But Nicky swore never to tell. Which meant Gigi had to actually do it herself. Ugh.

Gigi was supposed to go have breakfast with Crystal tomorrow before her flight at the Ihop between their houses. It was a ritual to go there after any test was bombed, a heart was broken--anything. Sugary pancakes healed things quite well. 

And then she would just be gone. Gigi's stomach clenched.

Her heart practically leapt out of her chest when she heard the tell-tale sound of pebbles hitting her window.

She once told Crystal to just text her when she was outside, but according to her--the theatrics were lost in that.

Gigi scrambled over her large bed and opened her window, revealing Crystal Elizabeth herself. Gigi could see her bright smile from here, even in the dark. It was well past midnight.

Crystal started shimmying up the tree curling around the house with ease--done through years of finding the correct knots to grab and places to step. Gigi smiled and watched her shamelessly.

Crystal was beautiful, inside and out. She had sparkling brown eyes, a killer smile, and wore outfits that always tickled Gigi pink. Tonight she wore a pastel knit top which hung around her loosely, tucked into some hideous teal mom pants. It was all nipped in with a chunky purple belt.

The clattering of jewelry was basically trademarked by now by Crystal. Gigi smirked and grabbed her hand as she reached the window.

Crystal crouched into the window and bounced onto Gigi's bed with a little "oof!" She immediately flopped on her back and giggled. "I knew you would be up!"

Gigi smirked and plucked a leaf from Crystal's unruly hair. "You definitely got lucky."

The white sheets of Gigi's bed were a stark contrast to the cloud of black ink that was Crystal's huge hair--and it was always adorned with clips and headbands and everything Crystal-esque. Gigi spotted one she'd personally given her for graduation--a little heart she'd crafted from orange buttons and hotglued to a clip. Crystal had worn it every day since she'd gotten it.

"Are you up for the same reason that I'm here?" Crystal asked, playing with the ends of Gigi's long auburn hair. The taller girl hummed.

"Probably. Just. Thinking about you a lot." She said softly. Crystal was still laying on her back, one foot still hanging out of the windowsill.

She reached up and brushed her finger against Gigi's cheek. "Hey. You're crying."

Gigi knew she would cry when she saw Crystal down in her yard. Just as she knew she wouldn't sleep tonight.

Gigi sniffed, and felt Crystal's warm, calloused hand cup her face. Her big brown eyes gazed up at her best friend. Since _kindergarten._ It was a lifetime ago, then.

Gigi remembered feeling so lucky to sit by Crystal on the first day of kindergarten. She looked like a cartoon character and was the nicest person she'd ever met. And she vowed to never let her go.

And now, she had to.

She sniffled and shut her eyes, feeling more fall before Crystal could catch them. "What if we stop being best friends?" Gigi whispered, her hand linking into Crystal's. She bit her lip hard enough to hurt.

"Time will pass and you'll get new college friends and so will I--and what if if just h-happens? Crystal, what if that happens for us?"

Gigi can hear herself being a little hysterical. Crystal sat up and faced Gigi, for once not being the first to cry. But Gigi spilled out her thoughts before Crystal could stop her.

"I just don't want you to be another face on Instagram or Facebook or whatever. I-I'm so scared to drift apart, Crystal." She wiped at her face uselessly. "You're my f-favorite person in the whole world. I feel like I already miss you and you're right here."

"Gigi! You know I am a sympathetic crier!" Crystal moaned. Her own tears were already springing forward as she reached up to hold Gigi's shoulders. "You know you're my favorite person too. I m-mean duh."

"Duh." Gigi smiled and sniffled unattractively, but Crystal giggled anyway. Crystal's five-or-more bracelets jingled as she slotted their hands together. "Guh. Crystal." Gigi whined. "I can't believe you're leaving tomorrow." She whispered.

Gigi stared at their hands and Crystal was silent for a few beats. Gigi just focused on how nice Crystal's hands looked in hers--golden tan skin with chipped blue nail polish and at least three rings per hand. "Me either." Crystal finally whispered, like she didn't know what else to say. She probably didn't. 

Crystal ran her free hand through Gigi's hair, and she immediately leaned into it like a sunflower to light. Gigi felt her heart cracking, and she just wished Crystal would kiss her and hold her and stay.

"I can't believe you stuck with me this long." Crystal chuckled wetly. Gigi scoffed.

"It was easy. You're like glue, boo-boo." They laughed quietly, and it was like they were the only people awake in the world. 

Crystal tugged on her hand. "Lay with me."

They fell to the sheets, and immediately focused on the twinkle lights along the ceiling crevices of the room. Gigi sat up to plug them in immediately. 

Gigi leaned into Crystal's shoulder and could smell her papaya shampoo. Her heartbeat was right by Gigi's ear. She wanted to stay this way forever. 

Crystal ran her her hand gently up and down Gigi's arm, and she thought she could fall asleep just like that. But she had to make these last moments count with Crystal.

The glow of the twinkle lights made the spotty texture on the ceiling from where they'd stuck glow-in-the-dark stars stand out. Gigi smiled at the memory of them spending hours sticking them up, and then removing them in high school. "My ceiling is still fucked up from that shoddy putty we bought at the dollar store." Gigi lifted her hand lazily, pointing to no one spot in particular.

Gigi's heart stuttered when Crystal lifted her hand as well and laced their fingers together. Whatever else Gigi was going to say was lost in her throat and in the feeling of Crystal touching her. "Yeah, that was a disaster." Crystal said sweetly, bringing their joined hands to her chest.

Gigi gazed at Crystal through a growing film of fresh tears as she admired the precious spirit that was Crystal. Her best friend and painfully one-sided crush for so long. 

Crystal's deep eyes held the lights from the ceiling, her lips were in a permanent upturn. Her smooth caramel skin looked so warm and Gigi dare say...kissable. 

Gigi let out a tiny hurt noise and hugged Crystal, wrapping her arms around her shoulders and burying her face in her soft hair. Crystal hugged back fiercely, and Gigi's ribs rattled with sobs. 

This was it. This would be the night Gigi would look back on and say "Remember that Crystal girl? That was the last night she was truly my best friend. We drifted apart after that..."

"I'll never meet someone like you, Gigi Goode." Crystal's voice was strangled by tears as well, and it just made Gigi cry harder. She didn't even know the last time she cried so much. Maybe it was teenage melodrama, whatever--but Gigi really was heartbroken. She loved Crystal. With all her heart.

Gigi pulled away, her tear-soaked face inches from Crystal's. The twinkle lights caught the tracts that glistened on Crystal's cheeks. The shorter girl swallowed and licked her lips. "Gigi, you'll always, always be my favorite person. No amount of space will ever change that. You could never be just another face to me. You have b-been everything to me my whole life. We are gonna be old ladies together one day, I just know it." Crystal's voice broke a few times but she finally smiled through her tears at Gigi.

The idea of growing old with Crystal made Gigi's heart swell, and before she could stop herself, she whispered, "I love you."

Crystal looked a bit shocked for a moment, but Gigi couldn't take it back. Her heart was already hurt anyway.

Although, now Crystal had a good reason to avoid her for the rest of her life.

Before she could backpedal though, Crystal was wiping her cheek clean of tears with her thumb. "I love you too." Her smile was warm.

Then, she gently tipped Gigi's lips to her own, and kissed her with so much tenderness that Gigi began to cry even more. 

She twisted away with a sob. "I-I need a minute." Gigi managed, her words shaky. Crystal's eyes were wide with concern. Before she could mend what what she didn't know was frayed, Gigi whispered, "I can't believe you are in love with me. I'm just--I've hoped for it for years, is all." She laughed through her tears. She was probably a mess.

Crystal smiled that sweet way she did and shrugged. "I've loved you for years. I didn't know you even liked girls, Gi. You shoulda told me!" She pressed a sloppy kiss to Gigi's glowing cheek, her face the prettiest pink Crystal had ever seen.

Crystal pulled away just enough to talk against Gigi's jawline. "All the more reason I will never let you go. Ever."

Gigi smiled and pressed her forehead to Crystal's. "How do you make things so easy? I've wanted to kiss you for...years. And you did it so willy-nilly." Gigi admitted. Crystal laughed loud enough that Gigi had to jab her side and shush her playfully.

"I've wanted to kiss you since I knew what kissing was."

It was Gigi's turn to laugh at that.

An hour or so passed, and the girls kissed and talked and cried some more, but it felt okay now. Gigi felt silly for worrying. Crystal loved her. _Loved her!_ She just wished she'd told her sooner. They could have had a summer together but now they just had a few hours together.

Crystal told her that they could do this. 

They survived sophomore year when Brita pulled down Gigi's skirt for calling her a loudmouth, and everyone called her _G-string Gigi_ for months. They survived Jaida's unsupervised graduation party when Nicky accidentally caught a yard chair aflame at the bonfire. They survived Crystal being bullied mercilessly for being caught kissing a nameless girl at a middle school Halloween get-together.

They survived a lot. This was no different. It felt different to Gigi, though, because they had to survive apart.

Crystal slid out onto the tree at about 4 am. Gigi leaned out the window and kissed her like some fairytale. She admitted that she'd thought about it quite often when Crystal would perch in the tree and smile that smile. She looked perfect.

"I guess I will see you over pancakes in a couple hours, yeah?" Crystal spoke. Gigi smiled, but it fell when she remember what happened today.

Crystal noticed, and immediately hooked a gentle finger under Gigi's chin. "Hey. We are gonna be alright, okay? You're stuck with me now."

The breeze caught Gigi's hair and made her eyes well up a little. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

\--

The two did have breakfast and cried quite a bit over their sugary piles of whipped cream and sprinkles. Gigi went to Crystal's side of the booth to hold her hand.

When they went to their cars to part ways, Crystal kissed both of Gigi's palms, her cheeks, her lips, and told her she loved her so, so much. That she would miss her so, so much.

"It'll be alright, Gigi. It's not like I'm dying." Crystal said gently. Gigi bit her lip.

"Then why does it feel like you are?" She said brokenly. Crystal kissed her sweetly; a final kiss.

"I love you. Never forget it."

And then she was gone.

Gigi watched Crystal's little blue car putter away, and felt more tears fall. She gasped for air wetly, but knew Crystal wouldn't approve of her self pity. She put one of Crystal's favorite songs on the stereo and drove home.

Gigi wondered if she would recount this day to someone...to people. To people at her wedding? She blushed at the thought. At _their_ wedding. Her and Crystal's. Gigi felt a smile on her lips.

To their kids? No, maybe their cats. And one iguana if Crystal had her way. She always would have her way if you asked Gigi. Gigi would give her the moon if she could.

They would be okay. They would always be okay.


End file.
